According to Eustat data industrial activity in the A.C. of Euskadi registered real growth in added value of 1.4% in 2003, improving on the figure for the previous year (+0.2%). This performance was not equal in the three provinces, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa returning real growth rates of 2.7% and 0.8% respectively with Alava maintaining the level of last year.

2003 saw the net creation of almost 1,000 jobs in industry, 0.4% more than last year. The number of jobs in industry reached 247,000 following eight years of positive growth, bringing industrial employment up to the level it stood at in 1984.

Changes in industrial gross added value at base prices 1999-2003.

Real growth rates.

(a): Advance

Source: Eustat

Growth has been fairly irregular in the different sectors, with the following sectors returning above average growth: Chemical Industry (13.8%), Textile and tailoring (8.3%), Electric material (6.7%), Non-metallic industry (6.6%), Petroleum refinery (6.3%), Transport material (6.1%) and Timber Industry (5.0%).

On the other hand, of the studied sectors five returned negative real growth rates: Footwear and leather industry (-8.1%), Paper, editing and graphic arts (-5.7%), Metallurgy and metallic articles (-2.1%), Metallic and non-metallic minerals (-1.3%) and Rubber and plastic (-1.2%).

Changes in industrial gross added value at base prices.

Constant prices. Thousands of Euros.

(a): Advance

Source: Eustat